ficlet #1

[schmerica]

estrella30 asked for: RayK/Stella, "Do I know you?"

*****

"Let's get married," Ray muttered into Stella's hair.

Ray was sure it was stupid before he even finished saying it.

"Excuse me?" Stella said. She twisted out of his arms, sitting up on her bed. "Do I know you? Because I thought that was my boyfriend over there, but I think he'd know better than that kind of joke."

Stella's shirt was still all the way unbuttoned. Her skin was flushed all over and her hair was knotted and kind of wild-looking. She probably would have thought she looked shitty if she saw herself, but Ray thought she was gorgeous.

"What?" she said, looking at him warily.

"I didn't mean right away," Ray said. He rolled off the bed and stood up, not looking at her as he could, spilling out the words. "I mean, you could graduate first, and I know you want to go to college, so you could do that, and I could get a job -- we could get a cheap little apartment nearby. I've been saving up, I could get you a ring and everything--"

"Ray," said Stella softly behind him, and he stopped his fidgeting and looked at her.

"I just, I love you, Stella," Ray said. His face was burning, and he felt really naked all of a sudden. Which would have been a good thing a few minutes ago, but not so much now. He crossed his arms in front of his chest. His shirt was on the floor on the other side of Stella's bed.

Stella stood up and came over to himm, wrapping her arms around his waist and looking up at him. She didn't say anything, so Ray didn't either, but he buried his face back in her hair.